Day 29 of 31 celebrates Pervin Todiwala, who continues to be a driving force behind Zest Quest Asia and its mission to raise the profile of Asian cuisine in Britain. In our conversation, she spoke with real conviction about access, opportunity and the need to develop homegrown talent, and that…
Day 28 of 31 celebrates Andrea Zick, sustainability in Hospitality champion. Since that February 2024 conversation, Andrea has continued working at the intersection of hospitality and food systems research. She is a researcher with the UK Food Systems Centre for Doctoral Training, and her recent PhD explored how chefs can…
In this episode of Talking Hospitality, Timothy R Andrews meets Andy Lennox at The Old Thatch in Dorset for a straight conversation about leadership, pressure, campaigning, and why so many hospitality businesses are struggling to make the numbers work. Andy shares how he built from the ground up, from opening…
Day 27 of 31 celebrates Dr Hilary Cooke, whose Talking Hospitality appearance was a reminder that leadership in difficult times is not about grand statements, but about giving people confidence, structure and hope. Since 2021, she has continued leading development work through Merlin Consultancy, stayed at the heart of the…
Day 26 of 31 celebrates Michelle Moreno, who brought real clarity to Talking Hospitality when discussing women’s leadership in hospitality. In the episode, she spoke openly about starting “right at the bottom,” being demoted from waitress to food runner, then building a global operations career through restaurant openings before founding…
Day 25 of 31 celebrates Mex Ibrahim, co-founder of Women in the Food Industry, who brought a clear and practical message to Talking Hospitality: if you cannot see it, you cannot be it. In her episode, she spoke about the power of visibility and storytelling, and why shining a spotlight…
Day 24 of 31 celebrates Joanne Taylor-Stagg, who joined Talking Hospitality during one of the toughest periods our industry has faced, speaking about resilience and the importance of not giving up hope. It was a message that landed then, and still resonates now. Since her time as Hotel Manager at…
Day 23 of 31 celebrates Dawn Lawrence, founder of Hospitality Jobs UK, who has become one of the most visible and influential connectors in the industry. When she appeared on Talking Hospitality, she brought energy, honesty and a clear mission: to make recruitment in hospitality more human, more accessible and…
Day 22 of 31 celebrates Ranji Thangiah, founder of Tooting Mama, who brought a deeply personal and culturally rich perspective to Talking Hospitality. In her episode, she spoke about preserving Sri Lankan heritage through food and ingredients, and the responsibility that comes with representing that authentically. Tooting Mama has been…
Day 21 of 31 celebrates Lorraine Copes, founder of Be Inclusive Hospitality, who brought one of the most direct and important messages we’ve had on Talking Hospitality. In her episode, she spoke plainly about standards in the workplace, including a moment that landed with a lot of people: if you…
“You’ve got to speak the same language as the people you’re supporting.” That was Jonathan Napier’s point — and it cuts through a lot of the noise around HR. Because if you’ve never worked on the floor, behind the bar, or in the kitchen… how do you truly understand the…
Day 20 of 31 celebrates Vicky Glover, who joined Talking Hospitality to speak about apprenticeships from a perspective we do not hear enough: the learner experience. Through her work with Appetite 4 Apprenticeships, she has focused on supporting apprentices, giving them a voice and helping highlight where the system works…
Day 19 of 31 celebrates Marsha Bennett co-founder of the Caribbean Food Collective who brought her unique perspective to the podcast. Her work has been focused on championing Caribbean food culture, creating opportunities for independent food businesses, and helping bring more visibility to underrepresented voices within the industry. Through the…
It’s a question that’s coming up more and more — in boardrooms, in team meetings, and quietly in people’s heads. You can see why. Automation is accelerating. Admin is being stripped out. Systems are getting smarter. So where does that leave HR? In today’s bonus episode of Talking Hospitality, host…
This bonus episode of Talking Hospitality, recorded live at Confex 2026, explores one of the most misunderstood roles in the industry: human resources. Timothy R Andrews speaks with Jonathan Napier, HR Director at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower and a volunteer advocate for HR in Hospitality, a non-profit network dedicated to…
What does HR actually do in hospitality? In this bonus episode of Talking Hospitality, recorded live at Confex 2026, Timothy R Andrews sits down with Jonathan Napier, HR Director at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower in London and a volunteer advocate for HR in Hospitality — a non-profit organisation championing people…
HR in Hospitality has been around for nearly 30 years… and everything we do is about championing people in this industry.” Because HR still gets misunderstood. Too often seen as policies, paperwork… or the people you only hear from when something’s gone wrong. But the reality? In this upcoming episode,…
Day 18 of 31 celebrates Che Young, whose appearance on Talking Hospitality opened up one of the most thoughtful and educational conversations we have had on gender. The episode was powerful because it was non-judgemental, accessible and honest, and it genuinely caused people, including some of us on the show,…
Day 17 of 31 celebrates Daksha Mistry, one of the original MasterChef names who helped show that great food, strong identity and proper entrepreneurial grit can take you a long way. Since appearing on Talking Hospitality, she has continued building Dakshas Gourmet Catering, bringing her Gujarati-inspired cooking and events business…
Women In Hospitality | Adele Oxberry #podcast #hospitality #sports Day 16 of 31 and we’re starting the week with a powerhouse: Adele Oxberry. When Adele appeared on Talking Hospitality, she brought real clarity to the conversation around apprenticeships, progression and the need to show people that hospitality can offer proper…
Fight Night where Hospitality professionals take up their gloves in the name of charity. In the build up to the 16th March, we meet Co-Founder Paul Gilley who explains why he started it all. #hospitalityaction #fightnight #talkinghospitality #hospitality #boxing
Fight Night where Hospitality professionals take up their gloves in the name of charity. In the build up to the 16th March, we meet some of the fighters giving it their all over 12 weeks of training. Today we meet Sous Chef George, who explains why he got involved. #hospitalityaction…
Day 15 of 31 celebrates Lisa Carey, who joined Talking Hospitality to speak about the work of Open Kitchens at a time when communities across the UK needed urgent support. Her episode was a powerful reminder that hospitality is not just about service in the commercial sense, but about people,…
Fight Night where Hospitality professionals take up their gloves in the name of charity. In the build up to the 16th March, we meet some of the fighters giving it their all over 12 weeks of training. Today we meet street food entrepreneur Sebastian Lambot, who explains why he got…
